Preserving Muan’s tidal flat

Muan-gun is a region in the Southwest of the Korean Peninsula. Muan tidal flat was the first place to be listed as a national wetland protection area in Korea in 2001, and in 2008, was also registered on the site list of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The tidal flats on the southwest coast of Korea are unique macrotidal flats where typical embayed tidal flats turn into open-coast tidal flats during monsoons. During winter, strong waves create sand flats, while in summer, the mud flats expand as tidal currents overpower the waves. This seasonal change is very clear along the coastlines, and during the year, the southwest coast’s tidal flats, including in the Muan area, shifts from mud flats to mixed flats to sand flats. The tidal flats were created when sediment began to accumulate along the coastline, from 7,000 years ago, when the Yellow Sea (called the West Sea in Korea) began to level out, ending the rapid rise of the sea level that had begun 20,000 years ago. These tidal flats also serve as a stopover for migratory birds flying to Siberia on the East Asia Flyway. The birds feed in the tidal flats and stockpile the energy needed to fly great distances. Annually, about 1 million birds of 300 species stop by this site. In addition, a variety of life forms of up to 150 species are found. The tidal flats are vital to the livelihoods of the local community, which using them for the production of sea-salt and to gather shellfish, and catch crabs and fish. Recently, Muan’s tidal flats have been slowly threatened by the construction of infrastructure for tourism and industrial development. The local community has responded by exploring ways to harmonize the protection of tidal flats and the local development with assistance from specialized NGOs and local government.